Sunlight barely cracked the sky’s gray vault this morning, showing just enough after the 7:23 AM that mists and showers shrouded the greening mountains. The temperature is 45 F and we expect 57 but the rain on my skin was cold and harsh. Still, I had to go out into it to suck in fresh air, and accept the rain’s light pummeling. A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. The rain unimpressed the cats who said, “Mazeltov,” and returned to their beds in the house. Sunset will be at 7:17 this evening.
I have Steve Winwood singing “Freedom Overspill” from 1986 in my head. It’s a favorite Winwood song, although it’s a crowded field. I’ve always liked his delivery and style. It’s the opening stanza that is staying with me today.
Keep on talking all you want Well you don’t waste a minute of time Who cares, who knows what’s true Coffee and tears the whole night through Burning up on midnight oil And it’s come right back on you
Freedom overspill
Speaking of coffee…you know. Stay positive, test negative wear a mask, and get the vax. Here’s the tune. Cheers
Yes, it’s 3/14 of 2022, which means this Monday is National Pi Day in the U.S. Is it irrational to have such a holiday? Perhaps not, when we play with Pi and then say, well, let’s have some pie, like apple or blueberry, or pizza pie, yeah? Yes.
Sunrise was a hazy, lazy, diminished spray of more light on curdled gray clouds at 7:25 AM. That stratus could speak to water sprinkling out of the sky sometime today. Temperature is now 45, but they said that 20 more degrees will be added on before the world turns my valley from the sun’s face at 7:16 this evening.
My wife’s exercise class featured the Broadway hits tape today. One song was “Try to Remember”. I was passing through on a cat feeding expedition when she called out, “Who is singing this?” I recognized Jerry Orbach, the late, wonderfully talented actor. “What was the play?” she asked. I couldn’t remember that. As I walked out, she called out, “Oh, it was The Fantasticks.” Right.
My wife is responsible for today’s theme music. She likes taking a few short exercise breaks throughout the day. She had been using her little iPod Shuffle for this, but she forgot to charge it a few days ago. So she fell back to using Alexa during the weekend. The songs she usually play are “Head & Heart” and “Fireball”. She’s trained Alexa to play “Head & Heart” when she says, “Alexa, play my favorite song.” Then, when the Joel Corry/MNEK 2020 song finishes, Alexa aways follows up with “Fireball” by Pitball and John Ryan (2014). I’ve heard each of those songs about eight times over the last two days, and they’re now welded to my neurons. I must share them to free the neurons. Well, I just used “Firefall” last year and I’ve never used “Head & Heart”, so here we go with “Head & Heart”. It’s a good dance song to move your blood.
Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters. I’m going for some coffee to move my blood. Cheers
My body and mind are not happy with ‘springing ahead’. “Why’d you do that?” they asked about setting the clocks ahead. “We was perfectly fine, wasn’t we?” Grammar is a little weak between them.
Today is Sunday, March 13, 2022. That’s right, Sunday the Thirteenth. Bad luck for some. Not a good day to spring ahead with our clocks, as we did. Not much fun with these digital critters, either, you know, the kind where you must hold a button in to advance it, and if you miss, you have to keep going until you come around on it. Like, “Here it comes, get ready to let go. Too soon, too soon. A little more, a little more.” That’s on the house thermostat and the cars’ clocks. I punch in the numbers on the range and microwave’s digital clock, then stand there, watching my Fitbit, waiting for its digit to change, then punching the ‘Set Clock’ buttons on both devices while shouting, “Now!” in my head. So much work for a worn-out idea.
Sunrise came after seven today, because, you know, clocks, at 7:25 AM. It’s a dreary sort of rainy spring day, 45 F know, going up to 52 F. Had a lovely one yesterday, although it got a little variable. One minute, it’d be so warm in the sun, people be busting out of their jackets, sweaters, and sweaties, while the next minute finds them pulling them all back on. Up, down, go zippers, searching for the sweet spot. Wasn’t to be found.
Sunset arrives after seven, 7:16 PM.
I was out walking in the pleasant weather yesterday. The neurons did a songdance that summoned a 1971 Rolling Stones song called “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking”. It’s a very rock and roll song of the kind hitting the vinyl in the late sixties and early seventies. I remember that I went about doing those lyrics from it for a bit. People thought me odd. I’ve always been real fond of the jam that came with it for the final four or five minutes. Those familiar notes stayed with me as I crested ridges yesterday and checked out the valley.
Stay positive, right? Keep testing negative. Wear a mask if needed, when needed, as needed. Don’t let complacency take you down. Get the vax and boosters when needed, as needed, when you’re able, right? Here’s some rock for your ears. I’m springing ahead for coffee. The neurons need it.
Congratulations. You have won a beautiful, brand-new Saturday, March 12, 2022. What will you do with your new day? Maybe clean the house, go to a concert, talk a walk, run errands, do general chores, read a book, play an instrument, knit, cook, eat, party, celebrate, sleep?
Day overtook night with sunrise at 6:28 AM. Tomorrow, as we spring ahead, sunrise will be at 7:25. But tomorrow’s sunset will be an hour later than the 6:14 PM of today. I don’t care. Just stop with it. Does it accomplish anything any longer?
Spring-flavored weather is in the air, with March’s roars shaking tree branches. A mild shower is expected in the afternoon. We’re at 60 degrees F now, with a high of 68 in the works.
A cover of “Blue Monday” by Orgy (1999) (which was originally released by New Order in the early 1980s) is running around and around and around the morning mental music stream, a writing derivative arriving because I was asking characters how they feel about a moment, and how I felt about the new novel in progress and its emerging, evolving directions. The neurons picked up on the quest for feelings and began playing the song. And here we are.
Stay positive, etc. You know it by now, don’t you? Keep Ukraine in your well of good outcomes. I’m going for coffee, as my well has run dry. Cheers
Spring must be ready to take the scene. My sinuses said something is in the air. I guess it could be love.
We’re getting ready to ‘spring ahead’ on our clocks this weekend in the U.S. Spring ahead and win a prize: one hour of ‘lost’ time. Where will you subtract your hour?
Today is March 11, 2022, Friday, in weekspeak. The sun came for our valley at 6:30 this morning, bold, bright, and welcome, dragging warmth out the cold air and earth. Twas 31 at my house this morning but now the desk weather station claims it’s 49 F. We saw 60 yesterday and anticipate 67 today. Looks like good walking weather. Might even do some yard-tidying and weed pulling. The sun will take its light and warmth and go on at 6:13 PM.
Today’s morning mental music stream inhabitant is “Livin’ On A Prayer” by Bon Jovi from 1986. It’s cat music. Yes, it’s a repeat from back when the coronavirus kicked in on a massive global scale While Papi seems very recovered, singing a rousing rendition of “The Breakfast Song” this morning, (and more than one verse), sick cat, whose RN is Boo (our bedroom panther), seems to be losing his cancer fight. I raise a glass to all the sick and diseased, fighting wounds, diseases, sickness, and chronic pain, and their caretakers.
Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, get the vaxes and boosters when you can, and send out some peace energy toward Ukraine and its people. Send them some hope that the invaders won’t kill or maim all of their people, that all of their buildings and lives won’t be destroyed, that Russia will stop this assault on their rights and lives. Pray for them if that’s what you do. Ask the Universe to make Putin come to his senses, or for Russians to rise up and rein him in.
That’s a lot to do. I’m gonna need more coffee first. Here’s the tune. Cheers
Today is Thursday, March 10, 2022. A peaceful transition from night to day was achieved when the sun moved into our area at 6:38 AM. Per the agreed-upon peace terms, day will yield to night at 6:10 PM this evening. Your results may vary.
Wayward cirrus clouds are the only markers on the sunlit azure sky. We experienced light rain yesterday. Doesn’t look like rain is programmed for today. The clear sky and bright sun deceive, though: it’s 41 F but the weather powers say that this feels like 34. Our high today will be 59. No word on how it’ll feel.
I have a 1999 song by Shania Twain, “Man! I Feel Like A Woman”, circulating through the morning mental music stream. This is my wife’s doing. She’s been wearing her iPod shuffle around the house while cleaning and exercising. This song is on her playlist. She loves the song’s hook and vigor and, grinning, her brown eyes gleaming, will sometimes just burst out with a part of it. Makes me laugh. It is a catchy, entertaining song, though, innit?
Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vax and boosters when you can. Here’s the song. Sing along if you feel it. I might feel it after more coffee. Let me go get some. Cheers
If you heard a thud earlier today, that was probably Wednesday landing.
Today is March 9, 2022. It’s chilly here, winter-spring, or wing. Blossoms have shown up on trees. Star asters and lilies are shoving their colorful heads out of the ground. Temperature now is 45 F and we expect 52, with some showers possible. The clouds look like they’re not sure about their orders, like, yeah, maybe they’ll come together for some rain, or maybe they’ll just call it off and drift home to Cloud City. (That’s where almost 99% of the clouds live, you know. Have you ever been?)
The sun checked in at 6:33 this morning. Check-out time is 6:10 PM.
The line, “And I’m getting old,” popped into my head last night, just an offshoot of general reflecting upon life, death, and existence, and the world’s current state. That’s a line out of a 1972 song called, “Heart of Gold” by Neil Young, according to the neurons. The line kindled the song and so it remained, looping through the morning mental music stream as I made and consumed breakfast, awaited word about Papi, and read updates about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. I love this acoustic version’s sense of introspection and loneliness.
So here we are. Stay positive. It’s a fight, I know. We’re all getting old, aren’t we, although many of us don’t think of ourselves as getting old until some magic point is reached. That magic is a different moment for each, superficially the same, one that can be categorized as a happening, like getting forgetful, or feeling weary, but it’s different for you than from me. I think.
Test negative. Wear a mask if it’s needed and get the vaccine and booster when you can. I’m back to the kitchen for a warmer. Have a better one. Cheers
Tuesday has broken, like the first morning. A gauzy blue sky hovers overhead, white streamers of clouds pulled apart across the middle. Busy birds dart around the spring’s emerging signs. Sunrise kicked in at 6:35 AM. Sunset cometh about 6:09 PM. Temperatures were touching freezing, 33 F, but we’re seeing 40 now and the thermo will find, say, 57, by daylight’s end.
Had the theme music to The Rifleman in my morning mental music stream. Remember it, with Chuck Connors? Not much to the theme song, a bit of fanfares and strings meant to pull us into the ambiance of the romanticists’ sense of the American Wild West.
But the neurons pulled and pushed other songs through the morning mental music tracks. Sunshine through the windows prompted a new part of the song catalogue to play. From “Uncle Salty” to “Walking on Sunshine”, to “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay”, “Sunshine on my Shoulders”, “Let the Sunshine In”, “Ain’t No Sunshine”, “Sunshine Superman”, “You Are the Sunshine of My Life”, and “Sunshine of Your Love”. LOL. Lots of sunshine.
But the neurons pulled out a newer song. Here’s “Pocketful of Sunshine” by Natasha Bedingfield from 2020. Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as needed, and get the vaccines and boosters when you’re able. I’ll also drink coffee and stay hydrated with plenty of water. Cheers
Monday has pulled itself up for another go-around. It’s March 7, 2022. Sunrise kicked in at 6:38 AM and sunset is expected at 6:04 PM. We’re less than a week away from starting Daylight Savings Time in the U.S. again. The debate about whether we should be doing this has already begun locally. We’ll see a ramp-up this week. With COVID-19 on the decline, mask restrictions being lifted, and the Russian-Ukraine war, DST debate will be more muted.
It’s 35 degrees F. No clouds outside of the office window hampering the sunlit azure sky. We’ll see a high of 59 F. today.
Several hours later that same day…
I started this post around eightish. Concurrently, I was calling vets, looking for appointments. None available. All had the same recommendation: your cat needs to go to emergency. Hot, black coffee was downed. Calls were made to prepare the emergency vet service and pre-register. Then off we went.
So, for music, I have The Eagles with “Already Gone” from 1974 because we went out that door and down the road. Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask, and get the vaccines and boosters as and when needed. Cheers
It’s still March, although the number associated with it, 6, is new for the day. The year is still 2022.
Sunshine bulleted through the clouds and across the valley as the sun began striding in at 6:38 this Sunday AM. Sunshine and blue sky dominate but clouds lurk like an NFL hulking defensive line striding to the line of scrimmage meet my eye to the north and west. We started out chill but have jumped to 45 F and expect to reach 56 before the sun bows out at 1807.
I have a Firefall song from 1977, “Just Remember I Love You”, rattling around the morning mental music stream. This mellow melody is directly related to cats. Two sick ones are in residence. I got up a few times in the night, checking on them, feeding them, confirming signs of life. According to the net, Firefall has been active since the year I graduated from high school, 1974. I only know a few of their songs and they’re all light, adult contemporary rock.
Stay positive, test negative, wear thy mask as needed, etc. Excuse me, I’m getting some coffee now, m’kay? Enjoy the song. Cheers
Michael Seidel, writer 